We love playing with power tools and machines. But buying one isn't the end of the story. To get the most out of your equipment and to keep it in working shape, you'll need a few extras.

You've just bought a shiny new walk mower and you have visions of the best lawn on the block, with deep-green grass so crisp it looks like it belongs in a ballpark. But the mower is only part of that program.

Safety Briefing

The smartest thing you can do when operating your mower is to put on a pair of safety glasses. We've been testing Honeywell's Uvex line of glasses and we're really impressed by their comfort, fit, and fog resistance. You'll also need hearing protection. Ear muffs are best, offerinf the most protection. but even simple earplugs are far better than nothing.

More From Popular Mechanics

That leaves hand and foot protection. Mowers come with varying degrees of handle comfort, plus, while mowing you're probably going to have to stop and pick up everything from a broken bottle to a child's plush toy. Moral of the story: get a good pair of gloves. As for footwear, that's your call. We recommend anything other than sneakers. I like high ankle boots such as those by Thorogood, which are well made and keep grass clippings out.

Tools

You don't need a large toolkit to maintain your mower. A small socket set with a specific spark plug socket and a multi-bit screwdriver will take care of most of it. You'll also need a spark plug gauge to gap the spark plug.

I doubt your mower will have a fastener that one of Channellock's products can't handle. You'll also need a high-quality putty knife and a wire brush for removing grass clippings from the deck and tires.

Round out your mower maintenance kit with a file to sharpen its blade. However, filing the blade can also unbalance it. To check that you've removed metal equally from both sides, balance it on a bolt projecting from a bench vise. Or you can use a blade balancer.

Supplies

Given the well-documented problems that ethanol-containing gasoline is causing for small engines, you need to stabilize the mower's fuel. Otherwise it can degrade in summer heat and humidity. Add this stuff every time you fill up your mower's gas can. Pour the recommended amount into the can, then add fuel. The stabilizer will be mixed into the fuel. As for the gas can, we have had good results with No-Spill products.

It's also helpful to have clean shop rags on hand and an oil funnel shaped and sized so that you can easily add oil to the mower's engine. For engines with difficult oil fill access, you'll need something long and narrow.

Extras

Before the blazing heat of summer comes, invest in a good water bottle and a comfortable hat. And bug spray. Living in tick country, I swear by Deep Woods Off, especially when mowing the area where grass meets brush.

And if you really want that ballpark look, you can buy striping attachments. Toro's fits most walk mowers.